Biological Survey of Ironwood Forest National Monument

Dense Arizona Upland gallery

Photographer: Mark Dimmitt


Aerial and ground views of excellent tree and saguaro groves in the Waterman Mountains. There are less dense but much more extensive woodlands on other bajadas in this range. In the left image and other landscape views the ironwood trees are the darker, bluish-green ones. Palo verdes are yellowish-green. Ironwoods usually have denser foliage, but most of these images were taken during a drought. Velvet mesquite when in full leaf looks much like ironwood at this distance, but they are rare in Arizona Upland.

Arizona Upland forest in the Silver Bell Mountains.

Superb Arizona Upland near Ragged Top. It goes on and on.

Thick Arizona Upland extends well up some rocky slopes of the Roskruge Mountains, which is atypical. This band of superior woodland is almost continuous northward across the bajadas of the Waterman, Silver Bell, and Ragged Top ranges. The dark green band in middle distance in the left image is a mixture of ironwoods and mesquites.

The bajadas surrounding the West Silver Bell Mountains generally support sparser Arizona Upland lacking in ironwood trees, but the south side of Solo Peak (left above) has a beautiful woodland rich in ironwoods. Several other areas have sparse trees but dense saguaro populations (right).